An annual edition now in its 14th year, the “Laureus Sport for Good” helps support the foundation of the same name, which promotes sport amongst disadvantaged and disabled children around the world. In a departure from the norm of using a current model as the base, the 2020 edition is a brand-new reference that’s not yet in the catalogue (though it probably will be by Watches & Wonders 2020), the Portugieser Monopusher Chronograph “Laureus Sport for Good”.

The Portugieser Monopusher Chronograph is an unusual watch: a manual-wind, single-button chronograph with a long power reserve of 192 hours, or eight days. It’s powered by the cal. 59360, which has a notably thin chronograph mechanism built over the cal. 59000 eight-day movement.

The movement, however, not actually new. It was last used in 2015 inside the Portofino monopusher chronograph, but subsequently absent until now. (Reputedly the movement had kinks that required fixing, particularly in terms of timekeeping while running the chronograph.)

The cal. 59360 with its thin chronograph mechanism; note the wide and flat column wheel

The movement is wide and relatively flat, resulting in a large watch that’s 46 mm wide and just shy of 14 mm high. Given the traditional Portugieser design of a wide dial and narrow bezel, the size of the watch is particularly pronounced.

As is traditional with the Laureus edition, the dial is a deep, metallic blue with ample space for the two chronograph registers as well as the power reserve display at nine.

A single button in the large crown controls the start, stop and reset of the chronograph

The other traditional Laureus feature is the case back engraving that reproduces a drawing selected from submissions to an annual contest organised by IWC. This year’s place of honour goes to Yi Xin, a 15-year old from China whose artwork represents friendship.

Because of the movement inside, the Portugieser monopusher chronograph is pricier than the Laureus editions of recent years, with a retail price of about US$17,000.

Key facts and price

IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Monopusher Edition “Laureus Sport for Good”
Ref. IW515301

Case diameter: 46 mm
Case height: 13.9 mm
Material: Steel
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 59360
Features: Time, date, chronograph, and power reserve display
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Hand-wound
Power reserve: 192 hours (8 days)

Strap: Crocodile

Limited edition: 500 pieces
Availability: Starting July 2020 at IWC boutiques
Price: 17,000 Swiss francs (23,900 Singapore dollars)

For more, visit IWC.com.

Correction February 18, 2020: The watch will be available from July 2020 onwards, and not April as stated in a prior version of the article.